Clarence Football Club

History

Clarence joined the Tasmanian Football League in 1947 on a two-year probationary period from the Southern District Football Association, later being granted permanent status on 7 August 1950, and continued to participate in the league until it was disbanded in December 2000.

They then joined the Southern Football League and participated until the end of the 2008 season whereby the club opted to join the newly reformed Tasmanian State League from 2009 and have won the first two premiership titles on offer since joining the competition and only in the 2015 season missed out on the finals.

Club details

• Home ground – Ninja Stadium (formerly Bellerive Oval & Blundstone Arena)
• Established – 1884 (as Bellerive Football Club)
• Playing colours – Red and white (Maroon and white until 1979)
• Emblem – Kangaroos
• Club theme song – "Clarence are the team to beat, I sing to you!" (Tune: "The Battle Hymn of the Republic")
• Affiliations – Various junior competitions including the SDFA (1884–1946) TANFL/TFL/TSL (1947–2000, 2009–2024), SFL (2001–2008, 2025-present)

Honours

Club

• Tasmanian Football League
  • Premiers (11): 1970, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2010
  • Runners-up (6): 1962, 1969, 1971, 1985, 1995, 1998
• Southern Football League
  • Premiers (5): 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2025
  • Runners-up (2): 2005, 2007

Individual

William Leitch Medallists (Best and fairest player – TFL senior football)

• 1949 – Hamish Yaxley
• 1960 – Stuart Spencer
• 1967 – J.Richmond and Stuart Spencer
• 1968 – Bob Lucas
• 1976 – Trevor Sorrell
• 1989 – Scott Wade
• 1991 – Gary Williamson
• 1995 – Danny Noonan
• 1996 – Danny Noonan
• 1999 – Matthew Jones

Tassie Medallists (Best and fairest player – TSL senior football from 2009)

• 2010 – Brett Geappen

George Watt Medallists (Best and fairest player – TFL reserves football)

• 1957 – B. Burn (tied)
• 1974 – P. Smith

V. A. Geard Medallists (Best and fairest player – TFL thirds football)

• 1957 – Russell Newell
• 1965 – Royce Hart
• 1973 – P. Smith
• 1979 – M. Kruene

D. R. Plaister Medallists (Best and fairest player – TFL fourths football)

• 1978 – T. Carter
• 1984 – Brendan Mayne
• 1990 – Steven Old

Dolphin Medallists (Best and fairest player – NFL Shield)

• 1989 – Scott Wade

Lefroy Medallists (Best and fairest player – Tasmanian team)

• 1956 – J.Golding
• 1957 – S. Spencer (tied)
• 1960 – S. Spencer
• 1981 – Rod Hughes (tied)
• 1988 – Billy Picken
• 1989 – Scott Wade
• 2012 – Brady Jones
• 2016 – Jake Cox

All-Australian team members

• 1958 – S. Spencer

Club record score:

• TFL: 38.16 (244) vs Devonport 4.4 (28) on 14 August 1999 at Bellerive Oval
• SFL: 41.23 (269) vs Brighton 5.4 (34) on 7 May 2005 at Bellerive Oval

Club games record holder:

• 315 – Scott McCallum from 1989 to 2007
• 314 – Gavin Cooney from 1989 to 2006 and 2009

Attendance records

Record home attendance: Bellerive Oval

• 5,157 – Clarence v New Norfolk on 6 June 1970 at Bellerive Oval

Record roster match attendance: all time

• 8,480 – Clarence v Glenorchy on 4 April 2011 at KGV Oval

Record TANFL/TFL finals attendance:

• 24,968 – Clarence v Glenorchy on 22 September 1979 for the TANFL Grand Final at North Hobart Oval

Record SFL Premier League finals attendance:

• 7,149 – Clarence v Glenorchy – 2006 SFL Premier League Grand Final at North Hobart Oval.

Current playing list

• (c)

Notable players

There is a list of past and present Clarence players who have played at AFL/VFL:

• Colin Alexander (Collingwood and Brisbane Bears)
• Daniel Archer (St Kilda)
• Jack Bennett (1920–1997) (Carlton)
• Arthur Budd (1945–2012) (South Melbourne)
• Ian Callinan (Adelaide)
• Terry Cashion (1921–2011) (South Melbourne)
• John Chivers (Richmond)
• David Donato (Fitzroy)
• Robert Dutton (Carlton and Hawthorn)
• Bert Edwards (1914–1995) (Richmond)
• Josh Green (Brisbane Lions and Essendon)
• Graeme Hatcher (Essendon)
• Paul Holdsworth (Sydney Swans)
• Graham Hunnibell (Melbourne)
• Noel Leary (Melbourne)
• Royce Hart (Richmond)
• Bob Lynch (Fitzroy)
• Rod MacPherson (Footscray and Brisbane Bears)
• Stephen MacPherson (Footscray)
• Terry Mayne (1950–1983) (Geelong)
• Danny Noonan (Brisbane Bears)
• Eric Pascoe (Carlton)
• Bradley Plain (Essendon, Collingwood and North Melbourne)
• John Richmond (Richmond)
• Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
• Justin Sherman (Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs)
• Stuart Spencer (1932–2011) (Melbourne)
• Scott Sutcliffe (Melbourne and Richmond)
• Cameron Thurley (Geelong and Kangaroos)
• Scott Wade (Hawthorn)
• Jeromey Webberley (Richmond)
• Michael Young (Carlton and Melbourne)

References

References

1. "About the club".